Experience Self-Obliteration at the MAG

The Memorial Art Gallery hosts art installation by Yayoi Kusama

Mallory Schake, Editor in Chief

April 16, 2024

YAYOI KUSAMA. “INFINITY MIRRORED ROOM – LET’S SURVIVE FOREVER,” 2017. Courtesy of the artist, David Zwirner, Ota Fine Arts, and Victoria Miro.

Rochester is a hub of the arts in Western New York, attracting attendance with the annual Rochester Fringe Festival, International Jazz Festival, “First Fridays” with the Rochester arts community and the city’s history with George Eastman’s Kodak. The most recent addition to the city’s rich artistic culture is an art installation by Yayoi Kusama at the Memorial Art Gallery, titled “INFINITY MIRRORED ROOM – LET’S SURVIVE FOREVER.”

The art installation, made up of several silver orbs which both hang from the ceiling and cover the floor, is an immersive 60-second experience. Rory Sloan, a public relations representative of the installation, explains that the artwork allows viewers “to experience their own version of self obliteration.”

The installation was inspired by Kusama’s early mental health experiences, drawing on a memory of self-obliteration. When Kusama was a child, she experienced hallucinations which inspired her mirror room. According to Tate Kids, Kusama had an auditory and visual hallucination in which the flowers in the field surrounding her began to speak. As she felt herself “self-obliterating,” she explained that the flowers surrounding her appeared as dots. This experience inspired Kusama’s use of dots in her artwork and orbs in her installation.

YAYOI KUSAMA. *INFINITY MIRRORED ROOM – LET’S SURVIVE FOREVER*, 2017. Courtesy of the artist, David Zwirner, Ota Fine Arts, and Victoria Miro.

Visitors of the installation can use the 60 seconds to experience the art however they please; Visit Rochester suggests taking photos or standing in silence. The exhibit will be on display until May 5, 2024. Student admission into the Memorial Art Gallery is $9, and entry into the installation is an additional $5. For more information, visit https://mag.rochester.edu/exhibitions/yayoi-kusama/.

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About the Contributor

Mallory Schake, Editor in Chief

Mallory Schake is a senior Media and Communication major. She is currently serving in her second year as Editor in Chief of the Cardinal Courier. Mallory currently covers campus relevant news and events. After graduation, Mallory hopes to continue her writing and editing experiences in a professional media setting.